Joint for cap visors

ABSTRACT

A joint for jointing each corner of a cap visor to a headband is disclosed. The joint consists of an inside connector  14  formed by an externally-threaded shank  10  integrated with a head into a single body. The joint also has an outside connector  22  having a tubular part  16  extending from the center of a control knob  20.  The tubular part  16  is internally threaded to form an internal thread  18  engaging with the externally-threaded shank  10  of the inside connector  14.  A user is thus allowed to tighten or loosen the joint by rotating the control knob in either direction when it is desired to adjust the tilt angle of the visor relative to the headband, and so the user easily and simply adjusts the tilt angle of the visor. This joint also has a simple construction capable of being easily assembled and reducing the production cost of caps.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a joint used for connecting a visor to the body of a cap and, more particularly, to a joint used for connecting each corner of a visor to the headband of a cap such that the visor is rotatable upward or downward around two joints relative to the headband, thus allowing a user to freely adjust the tilt angle of the visor relative to the headband as desired.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4a, a conventional visor joint used for jointing a visor 38 to a headband 30 comprises an inside connector 35, a compression coil spring 36 and an outside connector 41. The inside connector 35 has a thumb tack shape in which a sharpened pin 33 with two fitting rings 32 is integrated with the center of a pin head 34 into a single body. The outside connector 41 has a tubular part 39. The outside end of the tubular part 39 is closed by a holed end plate 40. When it is desired to connect the visor 38 to the headband 30 of a cap using the above visor joint, the inside connector 35 is positioned inside the headband 30 such that the pin 33 is aligned with a hole 31 of the band 30. The compression coil spring 36, the cap visor 38 having a hole 37, and the outside connector 41 are sequentially positioned outside the headband 30 such that the spring 36, the hole 37 of the visor 38 and the tubular part 39 of the outside connector 41 are aligned with the hole 31 of the band 30. After positioning the elements of the joint relative to the headband 30 and the visor 38, the inside and outside connectors 35 and 41 are tightened together by fitting the pin 33 of the inside connector 35 into the tubular part 39 of the outside connector 41 as shown in FIG. 4b. The two connectors 35 and 41 in such a case are rotatable relative to each other. The compression coil spring 36 positioned outside the headband 30 biases the corner of the visor 38 toward the inner surface of the outside connector 41, thus bringing the corner of the visor 38 into close contact with the inner surface of the outside connector 41.

[0005] However, the conventional visor joint is problematic in that it is necessary to highly precisely form the fitting rings 32 of the inside connector 35 and the holed end plate 40 of the outside connector 41 so as to accomplish desired operational effect of the joint. In addition, the two connectors 35 and 41 must be made of a high strength plastic material since the elastic biasing force of the compression coil spring 36 is concentratedly applied to the two connectors 35 and 41. Therefore, the conventional visor joints increase the production cost of caps. Another problem of the conventional visor joint resides in that it is difficult to assemble the joint since the two connectors 35 and 41 must be forcibly fitted together. Each corner of the visor 38 must be brought into strong frictional contact with the outside end of the compression coil spring 36, and so it is difficult for a user to adjust the tilt angle of the visor 38 relative to the headband 30. The caps with the conventional visor joints are thus inconvenient to users. In addition, the corners of the visor 38 are scratched by the ends of the compression coil springs 36 of the joints while generating noise upsetting the user during a tilting action of the visor 38 relative to the headband 30.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a joint for cap visors, which joints each corner of a cap visor to a headband while allowing a user to tighten or loosen the joint when the user adjusts the tilt angle of the visor relative to the headband, and which thus allows the user to easily and simply adjust the tilt angle of the visor as desired, and which also has a simple construction capable of being easily assembled and reducing the production cost of caps.

[0007] In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a joint for cap visors, comprising: an inside connector formed by an externally-threaded shank integrated with a head into a single body; and an outside connector having a tubular part extending from the center of a control knob, the tubular part being internally threaded to form an internal thread engaging with the externally-threaded shank of the inside connector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a side view of a cap provided with a visor joint according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0010]FIG. 2a is an exploded sectional view of the visor joint taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1 before a cap visor is jointed to a headband using the joint;

[0011]FIG. 2b is a sectional view of the visor joint taken along the line A-A of FIG. 1 after the cap visor is completely jointed to the headband using the joint;

[0012]FIG. 3 is a side view of a cap provided with a conventional visor joint;

[0013]FIG. 4a is an exploded sectional view of the conventional visor joint taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3 before a cap visor is jointed to a headband using the joint; and

[0014]FIG. 4b is a sectional view of the conventional visor joint taken along the line B-B of FIG. 3 after the cap visor is completely jointed to the headband using the joint.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Reference now should be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2a and 2 b, a joint for cap visors according to the present invention comprises an inside connector 14 and an outside connector 22. The inside connector 14 consists of an externally-threaded shank 10 integrated with a bolt head 12 into a single body. The outside connector 22 has a tubular part 16 perpendicularly extending from the center of a control knob 20. The tubular part 16 of the outside connector 22 is internally threaded to form an internal thread 18 engaging with the externally-threaded shank 10 of the inside connector 14.

[0017] In the joint of this invention, it is preferable to use a washer 24, such as a spring washer. The washer 24 is fitted over the shank 10 of the inside connector 14 as shown in FIG. 2a, and prevents the inside connector 14 from being undesirably rotated to be loosened after the two connectors 14 and 22 are tightened together at their threaded parts to connect a visor 38 to a headband 30.

[0018] When it is desired to connect the visor 38 to the headband 30 into a cap using the above visor joint, the inside connector 14 is positioned inside the headband 30 such that the shank 10 is inserted into the hole 31 of the headband 30 as shown in FIGS. 2a and 2 b. The cap visor 38 having a hole 37 at each corner thereof is positioned outside the headband 30 such that the hole 37 of the visor 38 is aligned with the hole 31 of the headband 30. After positioning the visor 38 relative to the headband 30, the tubular part 16 of the outside connector 22 is inserted into the aligned holes 31 and 37 of the headband 30 and visor 38 from the outside to the inside prior to being tightened to the shank 10 of the inside connector 14. In such a case, the control knob 20 of the outside connector 22 is rotated clockwise to bring the internally-threaded tubular part 16 of the outside connector 22 into screw-type engagement with the externally-threaded shank 10 of the inside connector 14. When the two connectors 14 and 22 are tightened together as described above, the corner of the visor 38 is jointed to the headband 30 while being compressed between the outer surface of the headband 30 and the inner surface of the control knob 20 of the outside connector 22.

[0019] In order to allow a more smooth tilting action of the visor 38 relative to the headband 30, it is preferable to use an elastic bushing (not shown) at a position between the outer surface of the visor 38 and the outside connector 22 of the joint.

[0020] When it is desired to adjust the tilt angle of the visor 38 relative to the headband 30, the joint is primarily loosened by rotating the control knob 20 of the outside connector 22 counterclockwise relative to the inside connector 14, thus allowing the corner of the visor 38 to be movable and rotatable between the headband 30 and the outside connector 22. After loosening the joint, the visor 38 is appropriately tilted upward or downward relative to the headband 30 to accomplish a desired tilt angle of the visor 38. Thereafter, the two connectors 14 and 22 are tightened to each other by rotating the control knob 20 of the outside connector 22 clockwise until the corner of the visor 38 is desirably compressed between the outer surface of the headband 30 and the inner surface of the control knob 20 of the outside connector 22. The desired tilt angle of the visor 38 relative to the headband 30 is thus accomplished.

[0021] As described above, the present invention provides a joint for cap visors, which joints each corner of a cap visor to a headband while allowing a user to tighten or loosen the joint when the user adjusts the tilt angle of the visor relative to the headband. The joint thus allows the user to easily and simply adjust the tilt angle of the visor as desired, and also has a simple construction capable of being easily assembled and reducing the production cost of caps.

[0022] Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A joint for cap visors, comprising: an inside connector formed by an externally-threaded shank integrated with a head into a single body; and an outside connector having a tubular part extending from the center of a control knob, said tubular part being internally threaded to form an internal thread engaging with the externally-threaded shank of said inside connector. 